U.S. 2nd Armored Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels") was an armored
division
of the United States Army
. The division played an important role during World War II
in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and the liberation of France, Belgium, and Holland and the invasion of Germany. During the Cold War
the division was primarily based at Fort Hood, Texas
, and had a reinforced brigade forward stationed in West Germany
. After participation in the Persian Gulf War
, the division was inactivated in 1995. Its units were later transferred to the 4th Infantry Division.
in charge of training. Scott was promoted to command the I Armored Corps
in November of that year, which put Patton, now a brigadier general
, in command of the division. The Division served with the First, Seventh, and Ninth Armies.
The 2nd Armored was organized as a "heavy" armored division having two armored regiments of four medium tank and two light tank battalions of three companies each. Along with the 3rd Armored Division, it retained its organization throughout World War II while all 14 other U.S. armored divisions were reorganized as "light" armored divisions having three tank battalions, each consisting of three medium tank companies and one light tank company. Both types had an infantry component of three mechanized battalions, although the heavy divisions maintained an "armored infantry regiment" organization.
The core units of the 2AD were the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment
, the 66th Armored Regiment, the 67th Armor Regiment
, the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 142nd Armored Signal Company.
The 2nd Armored had three artillery
battalions: (the 14th, 78th, and 92nd). The Division also had support units, including the 2nd Ordnance Maintenance Battalion, a Supply Battalion, the 48th Armored Medical Battalion, and a Military Police Platoon.
along with her "sister" division, the 1st Armored
. The remainder of Torch's American component were infantry divisions, the 1st, 3rd, 9th and 34th Infantry Divisions.
They were part of the Western Task Force of Operation Torch
, which landed at Casablanca
on 8 November 1942. Afterward, the division next went into action in the Operation Husky second landing at Licata, Sicily, 21 July 1943. This followed the 3rd Infantry Division's better-known landing earlier in Husky on 10 July 1943. The division then fought through to Palermo
.
on 9 June 1944 under the command of then Major General Edward H. Brooks
, operated in the Cotentin Peninsula
and later formed the right flank of the Operation Cobra
assault. It blunted the German attack on Avranches
, then raced across France with the rest of the Third Army
, reaching the Albert Canal
in Belgium on 8 September. It crossed the German border near Sittard, 18 September to take up defensive positions near Geilenkirchen. On 3 October, the division launched an attack on the Siegfried Line
from Marienberg
, broke through, crossed the Wurm River and seized Puffendorf 16 November and Barmen
28 November.
. The Division fought in eastern Belgium, blunting the German Fifth Panzer Army
's penetration of American lines. The Division helped reduce the Bulge in January, fighting in the Ardennes
forest in deep snow, and cleared the area from Houffalize
to the Ourthe River of the enemy. After a rest in February, the division drove on across the Rhine 27 March, and was the first American Division to reach the Elbe
at Schonebeck
on 11 April. It was halted on the Elbe, 20 April, on orders. In July the division entered Berlin-the first American unit to enter the German capital city.
During World War II the 2nd Armored Division took 94,151 prisoners-of-war, liberated 22,538 Allied prisoners of war, shot down or damaged on the ground 266 enemy aircraft, and destroyed or captured uncountable thousands of enemy tanks and other equipment and supplies.
In 238 battle days the 2nd Armored suffered 7,348 casualties, including 1,160 killed in action. The division was recognized for distinguished service and bravery with 9,369 individual awards, including two Medals of Honor
, twenty-three Distinguished Service Crosses
, and 2,302 Silver Star
s as well as nearly 6,000 Purple Hearts
; among those receiving the silver star were Douglas MacArthur, Bill Bowerman
, Hugh Armagio, and Stan Aniol. The division was twice cited by the Belgian Government and division soldiers for the next 50 years proudly wore the fourragere
of the Belgian Croix de Guerre.
. However, the main division would spend much of the next 35 years at Fort Hood.
The division remained on active service during the Cold War. Its primary mission was to prepare to conduct heavy armored combat against Warsaw Pact
forces in defense of NATO. The division formed a key component of the U.S. military's plan to move 'ten divisions in ten days" to Europe in the event of a Soviet threat to NATO. The division practiced this task numerous times during Exercise Reforger
from 1967 to 1988. To build and maintain combat skills, the division's maneuver brigades deployed almost annually to the National Training Center to face an opposing force modeling Soviet military weapons and tactics.
However, with the end of the Cold War the U.S. military began to draw down its combat units. The 2nd Armored Division was scheduled to inactivate in the spring of 1990.
and was assigned to NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). The brigade received additional aviation, engineer, military intelligence, medical, and logistics support units and was re-designated 2nd Armored Division (Forward). The unit's primary mission in case of conflict with the Warsaw Pact
was to either secure airfields and staging areas for the deployment of III Corps from the United States, or to deploy directly to the Inter-German Border (IGB) and establish a blocking position as part of a NATO combat force.
2nd Armored Division (Forward) was based at a new military facility near the village of Garlstedt just north of the city of Bremen
. The facilities cost nearly $140 million to construct, half of which was paid for by the Federal Republic of Germany. The brigade had approximately 3,500 soldiers and another approximately 2,500 family dependents and civilian employees. The German government constructed family housing in the nearby city of Osterholz-Scharmbeck
. In addition to troop barracks, motor pools, an indoor firing range, repair and logistics facilities, and a local training area, facilities at Garlstedt included a troop medical clinic, post exchange, library, movie theater, and a combined officer/non-commissioned officer/enlisted club. In April 1986 a Burger King restaurant opened on the kaserne.
The brigade was officially designated as 2nd Armored Division (Forward) during ceremonies at Grafenwöhr
, FRG on 25 July 1978. The Garlstedt facilities were officially turned over to the United States by the German government in October. At that time the Garlstedt kaserne (camp) was named after General Lucius D. Clay
, revered by the German people for his role as the American military commander following World War II. His son, a retired U.S. Army major general, attended the ceremony.
The brigadier general in charge of 2nd Armored Division (Forward) had a unique command. In addition to command of the heavy brigade, he also functioned as the Commander, III Corps (Forward), headquartered in Maastrict, The Netherlands, and as commander of all US Army forces in Northern Germany, including the military communities of Garlstedt and Bremerhaven. In the event of the deployment of III Corps and/or the 2nd Armored Division from the United States, the division commander would revert to his job as assistant division commander for operations of 2nd Armored Division. This contingency was practised during REFORGER exercises in 1980 and 1987. As a result of this varied and demanding job, command of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) was considered a plum assignment for armor branch brigadier generals, on par with perhaps only the Berlin Brigade for high visibility and potential for advancement to higher rank. Brigadier generals who held the position included James E. Armstrong, George R. Stotser, Thomas H. Tait, James M. Streeter, John C. Heldstab, and Jerry R. Rutherford.
The brigade's subordinate combat units initially consisted of the 3rd Battalion of the 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion of the 50th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment (Iron Knights), 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, and D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. In 1983, as part of the army's regimental alignment program, 2–50 Infantry was redesignated as 4–41 Infantry and 1–14 Field Artillery as 4-3 Field Artillery. Other brigade subordinate units eventually included the 498th Support Battalion, D Company, 17th Engineer Battalion, and the 588th Military Intelligence Company. The brigade also had a military police platoon and an aviation detachment.
The brigade deployed to Germany with the M60 Patton
tank and the M113 armored personnel carrier
. 4-3 Field Artillery had the M109 howitzer
155 mm self-propelled gun. In 1984 2–66 AR transitioned to the M1 Abrams
main battle tank and in 1985 3–41 IN and 4–41 IN transitioned to the M2 Bradley
Fighting Vehicle. Also in 1985 C/2-1 Cavalry was replaced by an air cavalry troop, D/2-1 Cavalry, armed with AH-1
S Cobra attack helicopters.
In 1986, under the army's COHORT unit manning and retention plan, 3–41 Infantry returned to Fort Hood and was replaced with 1–41 Infantry. In 1988 4–41 Infantry returned to Fort Hood, Texas and was replaced by 3–66th Armor (Burt's Knights, named for Captain James M. Burt
who was awarded the Medal of Honor as a company commander in the 66th Armored Regiment in the Battle of Aachen
during World War II). Now an armor-heavy brigade, 2nd Armored Division (Forward) fielded 116 M-1A1 Abrams tanks and nearly 70 M2/3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The division participated in numerous major NATO training exercises including "Trutzige Sachsen" (1985), "Crossed Swords" (1986) and the "Return of Forces to Germany" (REFORGER) (1980 and 1987). Division subordinate units utilized the NATO training area at Bergen-Hohne for gunnery and maneuver training and each year the division as a whole deployed south to Grafenwöhr
and Hohenfels
(both in Bavaria
) training areas for annual crew and unit gunnery and maneuver qualification.
2nd Armored Division (Forward) developed a reputation for excellence during these deployments, particularly in tank crew gunnery. Tank companies from 2–66 and later 3–66 Armor competed in the bi-annual NATO tank gunnery competition, the Canadian Army Trophy
. C Company 2–66 contested for the trophy in 1985 and D Company 2–66 in 1987. In 1989, C Company of 3–66 Armor won the competition outright.
The division had a formal partnership with the Federal Republic of Germany Bundeswehr
unit Panzergrenadierbrigade 32, a mechanized infantry brigade headquartered in nearby Schwanewede. The division also had informal relationships with Dutch, Belgian, and British NATO forces in the NORTHAG area, often conducting joint training activities at Bergen-Hohne.
by Saddam Hussein in August 1990 caught the division in the midst of the post-Cold War drawdown of the U.S. military. The division's 2nd Brigade could not be deployed as it was in the middle of deactivating. The division's 1st brigade, the Tiger Brigade for the war and commanded by Colonel John B. Sylvester
, deployed to Saudi Arabia independently and participated in Operation Desert Storm by providing heavy armor for USMC forces in their attack into Kuwait.
The division's 3rd brigade, the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) based in Germany, deployed to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 1990 and conducted combat operations as the third maneuver brigade of the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, KS. The division destroyed 60 Iraqi tanks and 35 infantry vehicles along the IPSA pipeline. By dawn of the third day of the ground campaign the 2nd Armored Division(Forward) had a hand in the destruction of four Iraqi tank and mechanized brigades. In between the cease-fire and the official end of the war in April 1991, 2nd Armored Division (Forward) took part in security operations to ensure peace in Kuwait. The Division then redeployed to Saudi Arabia where some of its soldiers established and ran three refugee camps near Raffia, Saudi Arabia. Division relief workers processed over 22,000 Iraqi refugees between 15 April and 10 May. After turning the camps over to the Saudi Arabian government, the unit redeployed to Germany.
The Division’s attack aircraft battalion, 1st Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment, from Fort Hood deployed to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 1990 attached to and with support from the 1st Cav also based from Ft. Hood. The battalion was equipped with the AH64-A1 Apache Attack Helicopter with a main armament of 8 to 16 Hellfire laser guided antitank missiles. For smaller targets with less armor the Apache was armed with a 30mm cannon firing high explosive rounds. A secondary weapon that could be carried instead of Hellfire missiles was the 2.75 inch rocket with several types of warhead.
The battalion participated in many air strikes along the border region during the air portion of the campaign. The unit provided covering missions when the ground forces advanced into Iraq. 1st Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment was pulled back in to Saudi Arabia after the cease fire with two squads staging in Kuwait to proved refueling and rearming services for battalion aircraft if hostilities resumed. The unit returned to Ft. Hood Texas in May 1991 and continued the deactivation that was interrupted when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The unit was deactivated in July 1991 and the Regimental flag transferred to sister unit 3rd Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment based in Germany. The unit was transferred as a whole to Ft. Campbell KY in July/August 1991 and became the 2nd Battalion of the 101st Aviation Regiment (part of the 101st Airborne Division).
In December 1992 the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Polk, Louisiana, was redesignated as the 2nd Armored Division. In 1993 the unit moved to Fort Hood. In December 1995 the 2nd Armored Division was again redesignated, this time as the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), stationed at Fort Carson, CO. This formally ended the 2nd Armored Division's 55-year history. Several units historically associated with the 2nd Armored Division, including battalions from the 66th Armored Regiment and the 41st Infantry Regiment, currently serve as part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 172nd Infantry Brigade at Grafenwöhr
, Germany.
History
Lineages
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The division played an important role during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and the liberation of France, Belgium, and Holland and the invasion of Germany. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the division was primarily based at Fort Hood, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and had a reinforced brigade forward stationed in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. After participation in the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the division was inactivated in 1995. Its units were later transferred to the 4th Infantry Division.
World War II
The 2nd Armored was formed at Fort Benning, Georgia on 15 July 1940, originally commanded by Major General Charles L. Scott, with Colonel George S. PattonGeorge S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
in charge of training. Scott was promoted to command the I Armored Corps
U.S. I Armored Corps
__FORCETOC__I Armored Corps was a World War II corps of the United States Army. The army made its debut in Operation Torch in November 1942 under the command of Major-General George S. Patton. In July 1943 it was redesignated as the U.S. Seventh Army....
in November of that year, which put Patton, now a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, in command of the division. The Division served with the First, Seventh, and Ninth Armies.
The core units of the 2AD were the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment
41st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The U.S. 41st Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. Its 1st Battalion is currently assigned to the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division...
, the 66th Armored Regiment, the 67th Armor Regiment
67th Armor Regiment (United States)
The 67th Armor Regiment is a armored regiment in the United States Army first formed in 1929. The unit participated in World War I, World War II and in Desert Storm/Desert Shield.-Lineage:...
, the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 142nd Armored Signal Company.
The 2nd Armored had three artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battalions: (the 14th, 78th, and 92nd). The Division also had support units, including the 2nd Ordnance Maintenance Battalion, a Supply Battalion, the 48th Armored Medical Battalion, and a Military Police Platoon.
Opened front in North Africa
Elements of the division were among the first U.S. military to engage in offensive ground combat operations in the European and Mediterranean theater during World War II. The 2nd served in North AfricaOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
along with her "sister" division, the 1st Armored
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
. The remainder of Torch's American component were infantry divisions, the 1st, 3rd, 9th and 34th Infantry Divisions.
They were part of the Western Task Force of Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, which landed at Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
on 8 November 1942. Afterward, the division next went into action in the Operation Husky second landing at Licata, Sicily, 21 July 1943. This followed the 3rd Infantry Division's better-known landing earlier in Husky on 10 July 1943. The division then fought through to Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
.
Normandy invasion
The division then landed in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
on 9 June 1944 under the command of then Major General Edward H. Brooks
Edward H. Brooks
Edward Hale Brooks was a decorated officer in the United States Army and a veteran of World War I, World War II and the Korean War...
, operated in the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
and later formed the right flank of the Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
assault. It blunted the German attack on Avranches
Avranches
Avranches is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called Avranchinais.-History:...
, then raced across France with the rest of the Third Army
United States Army Central
United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S...
, reaching the Albert Canal
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. It connects the major cities Antwerp and Liège and the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. It has a depth of , a free height of and a total length of...
in Belgium on 8 September. It crossed the German border near Sittard, 18 September to take up defensive positions near Geilenkirchen. On 3 October, the division launched an attack on the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
from Marienberg
Marienberg
Marienberg can refer to:*Marienberg, Saxony, the capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis district of the German state of Saxony*Bad Marienberg, a town in the Westerwaldkreis of Rhineland-Palatinate...
, broke through, crossed the Wurm River and seized Puffendorf 16 November and Barmen
Barmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which in 1929 with four other towns was merged with the city of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. Barmen was the birth-place of Friedrich Engels and together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the...
28 November.
Rhine campaign
The Division was holding positions on the Roer when it was ordered to help contain the German Ardennes offensiveBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The Division fought in eastern Belgium, blunting the German Fifth Panzer Army
German Fifth Panzer Army
The 5th Panzer Army, also known as Panzer Group West and Panzer Group Eberbach was a panzer army which saw action in the Western front and North Africa...
's penetration of American lines. The Division helped reduce the Bulge in January, fighting in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
forest in deep snow, and cleared the area from Houffalize
Houffalize
Houffalize is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.-History:On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 166.58 km², had 4,802 inhabitants, giving a population density of 28.8 inhabitants per km²....
to the Ourthe River of the enemy. After a rest in February, the division drove on across the Rhine 27 March, and was the first American Division to reach the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
at Schonebeck
Schönebeck
Schönebeck is a town in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 14 km southeast of Magdeburg.-International relations:Schönebeck is twinned with:...
on 11 April. It was halted on the Elbe, 20 April, on orders. In July the division entered Berlin-the first American unit to enter the German capital city.
During World War II the 2nd Armored Division took 94,151 prisoners-of-war, liberated 22,538 Allied prisoners of war, shot down or damaged on the ground 266 enemy aircraft, and destroyed or captured uncountable thousands of enemy tanks and other equipment and supplies.
In 238 battle days the 2nd Armored suffered 7,348 casualties, including 1,160 killed in action. The division was recognized for distinguished service and bravery with 9,369 individual awards, including two Medals of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, twenty-three Distinguished Service Crosses
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, and 2,302 Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s as well as nearly 6,000 Purple Hearts
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
; among those receiving the silver star were Douglas MacArthur, Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, Hugh Armagio, and Stan Aniol. The division was twice cited by the Belgian Government and division soldiers for the next 50 years proudly wore the fourragere
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
of the Belgian Croix de Guerre.
Cold War Service
After a brief period of occupation duty, the division returned to Fort Hood, Texas, in 1946 to retrain and rebuild. The 2nd Armored Division returned to Germany to serve as part of NATO from 1951 to 1957. Several of the division's battalions participated in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. However, the main division would spend much of the next 35 years at Fort Hood.
The division remained on active service during the Cold War. Its primary mission was to prepare to conduct heavy armored combat against Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
forces in defense of NATO. The division formed a key component of the U.S. military's plan to move 'ten divisions in ten days" to Europe in the event of a Soviet threat to NATO. The division practiced this task numerous times during Exercise Reforger
Exercise REFORGER
Exercise Reforger was an annual exercise conducted, during the Cold War, by NATO. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact.The Reforger exercise itself was first conceived in 1967...
from 1967 to 1988. To build and maintain combat skills, the division's maneuver brigades deployed almost annually to the National Training Center to face an opposing force modeling Soviet military weapons and tactics.
However, with the end of the Cold War the U.S. military began to draw down its combat units. The 2nd Armored Division was scheduled to inactivate in the spring of 1990.
2nd Armored Division (Forward)
In 1978, the 2nd Armored Division's third brigade forward deployed to the Federal Republic of GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and was assigned to NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). The brigade received additional aviation, engineer, military intelligence, medical, and logistics support units and was re-designated 2nd Armored Division (Forward). The unit's primary mission in case of conflict with the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
was to either secure airfields and staging areas for the deployment of III Corps from the United States, or to deploy directly to the Inter-German Border (IGB) and establish a blocking position as part of a NATO combat force.
2nd Armored Division (Forward) was based at a new military facility near the village of Garlstedt just north of the city of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. The facilities cost nearly $140 million to construct, half of which was paid for by the Federal Republic of Germany. The brigade had approximately 3,500 soldiers and another approximately 2,500 family dependents and civilian employees. The German government constructed family housing in the nearby city of Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Osterholz-Scharmbeck is a town and the capital of the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Osterholz-Scharmbeck is situated in between the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven.-Neighbouring places:* Bremen * Delmenhorst...
. In addition to troop barracks, motor pools, an indoor firing range, repair and logistics facilities, and a local training area, facilities at Garlstedt included a troop medical clinic, post exchange, library, movie theater, and a combined officer/non-commissioned officer/enlisted club. In April 1986 a Burger King restaurant opened on the kaserne.
The brigade was officially designated as 2nd Armored Division (Forward) during ceremonies at Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
, FRG on 25 July 1978. The Garlstedt facilities were officially turned over to the United States by the German government in October. At that time the Garlstedt kaserne (camp) was named after General Lucius D. Clay
Lucius D. Clay
General Lucius Dubignon Clay was an American officer and military governor of the United States Army known for his administration of Germany immediately after World War II. Clay was deputy to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1945; deputy military governor, Germany 1946; commander in chief, U.S....
, revered by the German people for his role as the American military commander following World War II. His son, a retired U.S. Army major general, attended the ceremony.
The brigade's subordinate combat units initially consisted of the 3rd Battalion of the 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion of the 50th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment (Iron Knights), 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, and D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. In 1983, as part of the army's regimental alignment program, 2–50 Infantry was redesignated as 4–41 Infantry and 1–14 Field Artillery as 4-3 Field Artillery. Other brigade subordinate units eventually included the 498th Support Battalion, D Company, 17th Engineer Battalion, and the 588th Military Intelligence Company. The brigade also had a military police platoon and an aviation detachment.
The brigade deployed to Germany with the M60 Patton
M60 Patton
The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...
tank and the M113 armored personnel carrier
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
. 4-3 Field Artillery had the M109 howitzer
M109 howitzer
The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin...
155 mm self-propelled gun. In 1984 2–66 AR transitioned to the M1 Abrams
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
main battle tank and in 1985 3–41 IN and 4–41 IN transitioned to the M2 Bradley
M2 Bradley
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense.As with other infantry fighting vehicles, the Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy...
Fighting Vehicle. Also in 1985 C/2-1 Cavalry was replaced by an air cavalry troop, D/2-1 Cavalry, armed with AH-1
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
S Cobra attack helicopters.
In 1986, under the army's COHORT unit manning and retention plan, 3–41 Infantry returned to Fort Hood and was replaced with 1–41 Infantry. In 1988 4–41 Infantry returned to Fort Hood, Texas and was replaced by 3–66th Armor (Burt's Knights, named for Captain James M. Burt
James M. Burt
James M. Burt was a United States Army armor officer who received the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Battle of Aachen during World War II....
who was awarded the Medal of Honor as a company commander in the 66th Armored Regiment in the Battle of Aachen
Battle of Aachen
The Battle of Aachen was a battle in Aachen, Germany, which occurred between 2–21 October 1944. By September 1944, the Wehrmacht had been pushed into Germany proper, after being defeated in France by the Western Allies...
during World War II). Now an armor-heavy brigade, 2nd Armored Division (Forward) fielded 116 M-1A1 Abrams tanks and nearly 70 M2/3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The division participated in numerous major NATO training exercises including "Trutzige Sachsen" (1985), "Crossed Swords" (1986) and the "Return of Forces to Germany" (REFORGER) (1980 and 1987). Division subordinate units utilized the NATO training area at Bergen-Hohne for gunnery and maneuver training and each year the division as a whole deployed south to Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
and Hohenfels
Hohenfels, Bavaria
Hohenfels is a municipality in the district of Neumarkt in the region of Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany. The town is host to the United States Army Garrison Hohenfels, which operates the Joint Multinational Readiness Center for training NATO armed forces....
(both in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
) training areas for annual crew and unit gunnery and maneuver qualification.
2nd Armored Division (Forward) developed a reputation for excellence during these deployments, particularly in tank crew gunnery. Tank companies from 2–66 and later 3–66 Armor competed in the bi-annual NATO tank gunnery competition, the Canadian Army Trophy
Canadian Army Trophy
The Canadian Army Trophy was a tank gunnery competition established to foster excellence, camaraderie and competition among the armoured forces of the NATO countries in Western Europe....
. C Company 2–66 contested for the trophy in 1985 and D Company 2–66 in 1987. In 1989, C Company of 3–66 Armor won the competition outright.
The division had a formal partnership with the Federal Republic of Germany Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
unit Panzergrenadierbrigade 32, a mechanized infantry brigade headquartered in nearby Schwanewede. The division also had informal relationships with Dutch, Belgian, and British NATO forces in the NORTHAG area, often conducting joint training activities at Bergen-Hohne.
The Gulf War
The invasion of KuwaitInvasion of Kuwait
The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait, which resulted in the seven-month long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, which subsequently led to direct military intervention by United States-led forces in the Gulf...
by Saddam Hussein in August 1990 caught the division in the midst of the post-Cold War drawdown of the U.S. military. The division's 2nd Brigade could not be deployed as it was in the middle of deactivating. The division's 1st brigade, the Tiger Brigade for the war and commanded by Colonel John B. Sylvester
John B. Sylvester
John B. Sylvester is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and decorated veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars. He is best known for his command of the famed Tiger Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division attached to the 2nd Marine Division in the first Gulf War, and his three tours of duty in...
, deployed to Saudi Arabia independently and participated in Operation Desert Storm by providing heavy armor for USMC forces in their attack into Kuwait.
The division's 3rd brigade, the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) based in Germany, deployed to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 1990 and conducted combat operations as the third maneuver brigade of the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, KS. The division destroyed 60 Iraqi tanks and 35 infantry vehicles along the IPSA pipeline. By dawn of the third day of the ground campaign the 2nd Armored Division(Forward) had a hand in the destruction of four Iraqi tank and mechanized brigades. In between the cease-fire and the official end of the war in April 1991, 2nd Armored Division (Forward) took part in security operations to ensure peace in Kuwait. The Division then redeployed to Saudi Arabia where some of its soldiers established and ran three refugee camps near Raffia, Saudi Arabia. Division relief workers processed over 22,000 Iraqi refugees between 15 April and 10 May. After turning the camps over to the Saudi Arabian government, the unit redeployed to Germany.
The Division’s attack aircraft battalion, 1st Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment, from Fort Hood deployed to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 1990 attached to and with support from the 1st Cav also based from Ft. Hood. The battalion was equipped with the AH64-A1 Apache Attack Helicopter with a main armament of 8 to 16 Hellfire laser guided antitank missiles. For smaller targets with less armor the Apache was armed with a 30mm cannon firing high explosive rounds. A secondary weapon that could be carried instead of Hellfire missiles was the 2.75 inch rocket with several types of warhead.
The battalion participated in many air strikes along the border region during the air portion of the campaign. The unit provided covering missions when the ground forces advanced into Iraq. 1st Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment was pulled back in to Saudi Arabia after the cease fire with two squads staging in Kuwait to proved refueling and rearming services for battalion aircraft if hostilities resumed. The unit returned to Ft. Hood Texas in May 1991 and continued the deactivation that was interrupted when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The unit was deactivated in July 1991 and the Regimental flag transferred to sister unit 3rd Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment based in Germany. The unit was transferred as a whole to Ft. Campbell KY in July/August 1991 and became the 2nd Battalion of the 101st Aviation Regiment (part of the 101st Airborne Division).
Inactivation
The fate of the division after the Gulf War is a confusing series of deactivations and redesignations. Due to the restructuring of the U.S. Army after the end of the Cold War, the division was ordered off the active duty rolls, ending more than 50 years of continuous service. Upon return to Fort Hood in 1991 the Tiger Brigade and 1st Battalion of the 3rd Aviation Regiment, all that remained of the U.S.-based division, was redesignated as the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and the 2nd Battalion 101st Aviation Regiment respectively. On 1 September 1991, 2nd Armored Division (Forward, in Germany) officially became 2nd Armored Division (-) after main elements of 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood inactivated. SGT Michael L. Anderson was the last member of the 2nd Armored Division. He was a 74F who was in charge of cutting orders for all remaining members of 2nd Armored Division HQ. On 1 September 1991 he cut the final orders for himself and his commanding officer. Over the summer and fall of 1992, 2nd Armored Division (-) was inactivated. Lucius D. Clay Kaserne was turned back over to the German government and was later to become home of the German Army Logistics and Supply School (Logistikschule der Bundeswehr) as well as the seat of General der Nachschubtruppe.In December 1992 the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Polk, Louisiana, was redesignated as the 2nd Armored Division. In 1993 the unit moved to Fort Hood. In December 1995 the 2nd Armored Division was again redesignated, this time as the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), stationed at Fort Carson, CO. This formally ended the 2nd Armored Division's 55-year history. Several units historically associated with the 2nd Armored Division, including battalions from the 66th Armored Regiment and the 41st Infantry Regiment, currently serve as part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 172nd Infantry Brigade at Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
, Germany.
Commanders
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George R. Mather George Robinson Mather was a United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command from 1969 to 1971.-Military career:... September 1964 – July 1965 George Patton IV George Smith Patton, IV was a Major General in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George Patton.-Military biography:... 5 August 1975 – 3 November 1977 |
External links
Contemporary unit- 2nd Armored Division page
- GlobalSecurity.org page on 2AD
- Army Order of Battle of 2AD in Order of Battle of the United States Army World War II reproduced at the United States Army Center of Military History
- 2nd Armored Division (Forward)
History
- Strengthening NATO: Stationing of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in Northern Germany
- Hell On Wheels War Against the Axis (map)
- Historical record operations of US 2nd Armored Division
- 2nd Armored Division (Forward) as part of 1 (NL) Corps covering force, 1985-1989
Lineages